Memphis, Bass Pro counting on youJONESBORO — I took the maiden voyage to the new Bass Pro Shops at The Pyramid in Memphis, and much like anything Johnny Morris does, it was a sight to behold. Perhaps he’s turned into a classier southern version of Donald Trump. He does everything with a touch of class and spares no expense in doing it. The city of Memphis is hoping and praying that its investment in Bass Pro pays off, because they’ve plunked down a sizeable chunk of change to...

Sand Lizards rebuild during spring footballDARDANELLE — How do you replace one of the most dominant Dardanelle Sand Lizards football teams in school history? The answer, Dardanelle head coach Josh Price said, is that you can’t. “We will be different. We obviously won’t have a 250 pound quarterback,” Price said, referencing graduated senior Kristian Thompson. “We also won’t have anyone that can do what Park Witt did on the defense, and we’d be stupid to ask any of those kids to try.” In...

Missouri-Arkansas football game date moved to Nov. 27 FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. (AP) — The University of Arkansas says the Razorbacks' November football game against Missouri has been moved up by one day and will be nationally televised. The game is now scheduled for Friday, Nov. 27 in Fayetteville with kickoff scheduled for 1:30 p.m. on CBS. The game was originally scheduled for Nov. 28. The game will be the seventh time Arkansas and Missouri have played football, but just the second time the two teams...

Throwback Thursday (May 28, 2015)THE COURIER / File Reprinted from a 1976 edition of The Courier-Democrat without alteration. STANDOUT PERFORMANCE was registered in Saturday’s Dover-Russellville basketball game by the Pirates’ Bill Elliot (24). He demonstrates his jumping ability on this play by soaring for two points. Russellville players are, from left: Dwight Ruffin, Mark Gilbert, Kelly Davis and Jeff Van Es. The other Dover player is Gary Churchill. Elliot, benched in the...

Clarksville to hold Red-White scrimmage todayCLARKSVILLE — Panthers head coach Eli Cranor said he is excited to show the community what he’s seen during Clarksville’s 2015 spring practices. The Panthers will hold their annual Red-White scrimmage at 7:30 p.m. today at Metheny Field. “I hope they [fans] see improvement,” Cranor said. “I hope they see a group of guys that are giving effort on every play. That’s guys that are blocking down the field, quarterbacks and running backs carrying o...

Game and Fish Notebook (May 27, 2015)AGFC urges boaters to use caution on area lakes, rivers and boat ramps LITTLE ROCK – The Arkansas Game and Fish Commission is warning boaters to use extreme caution in and around the state's waters. Recent heavy rain and the forecast for more rain over the next few days have rivers and lakes at dangerous levels. Flooding rivers are particularly dangerous. During high flows, strong currents and large debris can threaten the safety of pleasure c...

Arkansas' Lopez finishes second in NCAA golf tournamentFAYETTEVILLE, Ark. (AP) — Gabriela Lopez of Arkansas finished as the national runnerup in this year's NCAA women's golf tournament in Bradenton, Florida. Lopez on Monday shot a six-under-par 66 on Monday to finish with a four-round total of 286. She tied Duke's Leona Maguire one stroke behind Alabama's Emma Talley. The Razorbacks finished the stroke play portion of the tournament in ninth place. The top eight teams advance to match play. Arkan...

Razorbacks look forward to NCAA baseball tournament FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. (AP) — Members of the University of Arkansas baseball team say a victory in Friday's NCAA tournament opener would provide the right momentum for the rest of the season. The second-seeded Razorbacks open play against Oral Roberts. Host Oklahoma State is the top seed in the four-team Stillwater Regional and will play St. John's. Third-baseman Bobby Wernes called ORU a good team, and pitcher James Teague said that, this late in...

Soccer officials arrested in Zurich; World Cup votes probed ZURICH (AP) — Swiss prosecutors opened criminal proceedings into FIFA's awarding of the 2018 and 2022 World Cups, only hours after seven soccer officials were arrested Wednesday pending extradition to the U.S. in a separate probe of "rampant, systemic, and deep-rooted" corruption. FIFA, meanwhile, said Friday's presidential election would go ahead as planned with Sepp Blatter going for a fifth term. Blatter was not named in either investigatio...

Post 20 baseball begins ThursdayRussellville Cyclones volunteer baseball coach Zach Hettinga said he was excited for the opportunity to coach the Russellville American Legion Post 20 Patriots this summer. The team, which is comprised of players from Russellville and the surrounding areas, will begin their season on Thursday against Maumelle. “I was real excited when they approached me,” Hettinga said. “I played American Legion when I was a kid. I just wanted kids and parents...

Goodbye, GoodmanTHE COURIER / Travis Simpson The Russellville School District (RSD) said goodbye to former Cyclones head track coach and assistant football coach Charlie Goodman with a celebration on Tuesday in the Commons Area of Russellville High School. Goodman’s son, Ben Goodman, will replace Charlie as head track coach. A film showing photos from Charlie’s 41 years with RSD was put together and shown by the Russellville Junior High School EAST Lab.

Big Bass Bonanza around the cornerThe 2015 version of one of the state’s premiere fishing events is just a month away. Hopefully by then some of the high water and extreme flows along the Arkansas river will have subsided, and the tournament will not be forced to postpone. Several years ago, a similar scenario forced organizers to reschedule not once but twice and was tough on total numbers. An event so large needs stability, and the Big Bass Classic has found that in recent y...

Solution for your deer problemThere’s nothing a deer loves more than a tender young plant, whether it’s in a garden, a food plot, or a 300-acre field of soybeans. Keeping them out can be a real challenge. Until recently, nothing but an ultra expensive six-foot high fence would do the job. A dual-perimeter fence system not only works, it’s a fairly inexpensive way to keep the deer out of areas you don’t want them browsing. Most avid deer hunters have seen these fences, whet...

The win streak continuesStrictly speaking, there shouldn’t be any dumping of water coolers over coaches’ heads after a win in the state tournament. Yet, here we are. After wrestling Russellville head soccer coach Jared Fuller to the ground, someone said: “Gatorade!” “Gatorade,” the team agreed, despite Fuller’s protests to use water instead, because Gatorade was too sticky. Later, back in the media box, a frustrated police officer explained he had two jobs: Make sure...

Cyclones win back-to-back state championshipsFAYETTEVILLE — Russellville Cyclones head coach Jared Fuller said his third Class 6A state championship in four years was his favorite for one reason: It’s the one he’s currently experiencing. Russellville defeated the Siloam Springs Panthers 2-1 on Saturday for the 6A title at Razorback Field on the campus of the University of Arkansas. “Each win is different,” Fuller said. “I’m in this moment now, though, so this one is my favorite.” The Cyc...

Cyclones ready for 6A title matchThe Russellville Cyclones have danced this dance before. Actually, they've danced it it several times. When Russellville travels to Fayetteville on Saturday for the Class 6A State soccer final, it'll be for a chance to win back-to-back state championships, and their third appearance in four years. The Cyclones won titles in 2012 and 2014. Russellville will leave at 8:30 a.m. on Saturday from Russellville High School. Fans and friends are encou...

Local coaches weigh in on NLF rule changeThe NFL approved a proposal to change the way extra points worked in professional football on Tuesday. The changes may seem small at first glance, but could change the game in unforeseen ways. In a nutshell, PATs will be kicked from the 15-yard line rather than the 2-yard line. The 2-point conversion will still be snapped from the 2-yard line, but a further added twist allows the defense to ruturn turnovers, blocked or botched kicks for two po...

Throwback Thursday (May 21, 2015)THE COURIER / File Reprinted without alteration from a 1963 edition of The Courier-Democrat. RUGGED DRILL . . . Russellville High School backfield canidates run agauntlet of “defenders” trying to knock them out-of-bounds in a drill designed to develope balance and stamina. The RHS Cyclones are preparing for their season opener on Sept. 6 against Springdale.

RHS hires White to coach Lady CyclonesThe Russellville School Board filled a vacant position during Tuesday's regular meeting. Sherry White was hired to coach the Lady Cyclones basketball team. White has been the head basketball coach for the Fort Smith Southside Lady Rebels since 2004. The Lady Rebels finished as Class 7A Runners-up in 2013. White coached the Harrison Lady Goblins between 1999-2004, where she led the team to four Class 4A state championships. White, who is a four...

Long accepts position at OzarkDays after the Russellville Cyclones were defeated in the semifinals of the Class 6A State Tournament, the team will have to struggle with another loss. Russellville head coach Matt Long will take a job as head coach of the Ozark Hillbillies and will resign all coaching responsibilities at Russellville by the end of the school year. "This decision has everything to do with Ozark," Long explained. "Ozark is a place that I feel like is 100 perce...